


Going Home

by imdex



Series: You Know the Rules [9]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Character Death, Death, F/M, Family, Fictional characters shouldn't hurt my feelings this much., Gen, Going Home, I needed to cry tonight, Memories, Passing, Recovered Memories, Thalmor, This happened because I can't cope with stuff., Way to rip my own heart out, When you break down you do sad stuff, reunited, sorry.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-08-10 22:43:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7864087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imdex/pseuds/imdex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lay down your sweet and weary head<br/>Night is falling<br/>You have come to journey's end<br/>Sleep now<br/>Dream of the ones who came before<br/>they are calling<br/>From across a distant shore</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry. I'm just sitting here having a mutual cry baby festival with my best friend because of this. 
> 
> \---
> 
>  
> 
> She sighed happily as the chilled wind rustled through the vivid autumn leaves above her. Her smile grew when he sat beside her slowly, only opening her eyes when she heard him sigh lowly, the sound ripping at her heart more than it should've. 
> 
> 'You can lift the spell.' she reached forward and laced their fingers together. 'You don't need to pretend anymore.'
> 
> 'I…can't. Not…' he pulled her against him and once more sighed. Tears welled in her eyes. There was no doubt that his had long spilled over. The afternoon sun kissed at their skin in a warm caress between the slight breeze. The birds chirped happily above, oblivious to the two holding each other below, oblivious to the joy that was steadily being taken from him. 
> 
> 'Not until…'
> 
> 'Please.'
> 
> He forced himself to look down at her and felt the ache in his heart magnify. 
> 
> She had fussed through the years about her looks, had cried at how unfair it was, that she was aging. And he was not. A simple spell had solved the problem and after a few years of tearful nights of her knowing his appearance was a simple façade she had grown sick. 
> 
> She realized then that it didn't matter. 
> 
> 'Please…I…I want to see you.'
> 
> Tears slid down his face, trailed into his white peppered beard, and with a slight sob the mer lifted his hand. Her eyes brightened, bringing life to her otherwise exhausted features, those eyes he'd fallen in love with all those years ago. Failing to swallow past the lump in his throat his eyes slammed closed. 
> 
> He waved the spell over himself feeling his features tighten with hidden youth and braced himself to face her once more. 
> 
> 'You're…' she chuckled tearfully. '…I l-love you…I…'
> 
> He opened his eyes once more and stammered out his reply. 
> 
> 'I love you. I do…s-so much…I…' he pulled her against him and sobbed into her hair, struck through with silver, and apologized.
> 
> For not being able to protect her from this. For not being good enough to stop it. For not being able to save her. 
> 
> 'Rulindil.' her voice was hardly over a whisper now. The Altmer had taken to begging, pleading, promising. Anything to keep her with him. 
> 
> 'I-Imani..p-please…don't l-leave me.' 
> 
> '…I never will.'
> 
> She exhaled, gave him the smallest squeeze, and Rulindil felt his entire world leave him. The Altmer held her body against him and whispered to her over and over how much he loved her, how thankful he was, how she was every thing to him. All the words he had always told her were now shattering around him. 
> 
> '…you were every thing.' he whimpered against her hair. 'Thank you…for giving me…' despite the piercing ache in his heart Rulindil smiled against her hair and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. 'a life worth living.'

Five centuries. Five long centuries. Black eyes focused wearily on the ceiling above as he thought back on every thing. Within his mind she appeared and despite himself, despite the massive amount of time that had passed since that day she had both snuck into his life and crept back out, the Altmer felt tears slide down his face. He had remained alone after she had left…after Adriel…

Rulindil took in a shuddered breath as he recalled saying goodbye to his Addy, his Imani, how peacefully they'd gone. A slight squeeze to his hand and the old mer glanced over to see his son in law, lips pursed tight as he fought back his own tears, beside him his grand daughter. 

The little girl bit her little lip but couldn't will away her tears. 

She looked so much like Imani had. Another memory stirred and he was back in that dark forest outside Skingrad, he was standing over her like some imposing fool, and then he was staring into those eyes. The ones that he'd meet again a little over a decade later. The ones that he'd fall in love with. 

Adriel had married an Altmer, an ex-Thalmor like him, and for this little gift that he wouldn't have to watch die he was grateful. 

'Papa…'

He smiled softly at her and reached his boney hand out. 

'It's ok, dear one.'

She didn't look very convinced and gave a slight nod of her head. 

'I'm going to miss you.'

He looked at her and smiled. 

'I'll miss you too.'

He glanced up then and gave a silent command to her father. The mer ushered her out of the room after she gave him one final hug. 

'…Emissary.'

Rulindil regarded him with a soft hum of acknowledgement.

'I will return you to them.'

Rulindil exhaled sharply and smiled. 

'Thank you.'

His son in law swallowed thickly at the door. 

'…sleep well.'

And with that he was gone. Exhaustion pulled at the mer and with a sigh Rulindil gave into the will to sleep. 

\----

Disoriented he woke to his dark room, moon light flooding through the windows, and frowned. He racked his brain as he tried to figure out what he was…smelling. Black eyes widened immediately. Lavender. He sat up swiftly and looked around the room frantically. He was speaking before he could comprehend it. 

'Imani?' 

And then the silver light of the moons took shape. Rulindil took a shuddered breath and felt his heart lurch within his chest as if he were seeing her for the first time all over again. 

'I-Imani…'

She was young once more, radiant, and smiling that sweet smile he had never forgotten. Then she spoke with that young voice he remembered, full of life and playful as it ever was, and his heart ached. 

'I missed you, Dragon.'

He swung his legs around the bedside and stumbled toward her entranced. 

'I…I missed you more.'

'Are you ready go come home?'

It was then Rulindil became aware of strength his body had long lost flooding his body. He looked at his hands and found them smooth and free from age. Daring to look behind him he gasped. 

There his body lay, old and barely breathing, aged and frail. 

She touched him and he looked back down at her.

'I'll never leave you again.'

He smiled and for the first time in centuries he held his Breton against him and laughed. 

'Will Adriel be there too?'

'She's waiting as we speak.'

Rulindil led her head up and pressed his lips against hers, sighing happily as all the memories of his years with her flooded his mind, and as he pulled back Imani smiled. 

'Let's go home, Breton.'


End file.
